Xenophobic Attacks in SA were Avoidable

(Press Release)--The wave of attacks against foreign nationals in South Africa, which claimed at least 62 lives and displaced thousands in May 2008, could have been avoided, concluded a high level fact finding mission deployed by the Citizenship Rights in Africa Initiative (CRAI).

In a report released today, ‘Tolerating intolerance: Xenophobic violence in South Africa,’ CRAI details government failures to address the warning sides that violence might occur, as well as to respond appropriately to its aftermath.

The mission interviewed direct victims of the violence, many of whom lost everything as a result of the violence. In the words of one migrant: ‘[I] was forced to run away to Maputo in Mozambique fearing for my life and my family after our house was razed to the ground by a mob. [...] My ten years’ worth of work and investments in South Africa was reduced to ashes. When I returned from work, I found that my terrified wife and children had taken refuge in the nearby police station.’

As detailed in the report, there had been a significant increase in xenophobic violence the preceding years. The government failed to respond strongly to this violence, instead focusing on enforcement actions against migrants and creating a perception that intolerance would be tolerated or even condoned.

One year following the attacks, there has yet to be a full stock-taking of the violence. Although there have been various assessments undertaken, a government-initiated commission of enquiry should be created to ensure both that the facts of the violence are a matter of public record and that its consequences are taken on board by government in a broad ranging reform effort. ‘Official recognition of the nature and consequences of the violence is critical if South Africa is to learn from the past and ensure that violence is not repeated,’ said CRAI Co-Chair Dismas Nkunda.

‘The violence committed against migrants and South Africans in May 2008 was an intolerable criminal assault on a vulnerable population,’ said CRAI Co-Chair Chidi Odinkalu. ‘The perpetrators need to be held accountable.’ One year following the attacks, only approximately ten percent of those people who were arrested in connection with the violence have faced prosecution and more cases were pending than had been resolved. CRAI calls on the South African government to redouble its efforts to prosecute those involved.

In addition to individual accountability, there needs to be a serious assessment of the role which government policies played in allowing the violence to take place. ‘Recent moves by the government of South Africa to extend permits to Zimbabweans and to create an integration plan for refugees are welcome,’ said Adam Hussein Adam, a Kenyan activist who participated in the research mission, ‘but much more needs to be done in order to ensure that the rights of migrants are respected and such violent attacks are not repeated.’


The full press release is available online at http://www.citizenshiprightsinafrica.org

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